Scilly - 7.10.25

 

Redstart

The day started off with a showy Redstart above Old Town beach followed by a Willow Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat in Standing Stones field. It was then back to Porth Hellick where along the timeline on the beach we eventually had good if distant views of a juvenile Common Rosefinch. 

Common Rosefinch 

Up at Newford Duckpond I broke my record for the quickest time to see a Yellow-browed Warbler here with one seen within 5 minutes. At Trenoweth I picked out a Crossbill as it flew east. A Merlin harassed all the smaller birds at Pungies Lane.

I tried Porthloo beach again for Curlew Sandpiper but they’d gone. It was whilst sat on the bench the mega alert went off. As usual I thought it’d be for Shetland or the Western Isles but upon checking my phone I saw a back of camera shot of a Mourning Dove. Better still it was at Troy Town farm on St.Agnes! I shouted out to James Lidster who’d just walked by on the phone and showed him the photo. With this we headed towards the quay in the hope of a boat over. 

A boat was arranged and off we went. Another power walk was undertaken but we weren’t sure where to go as whilst the finder Keith Pellow was typing the news out onto the WhatsApp group the bird had flown and wasn’t seen in which direction it’d headed. The bird had been seen with a Turtle Dove so we concentrated on finding flocks of Collared Doves in the hope both birds had joined them. We did see the Turtle Dove but its American counterpart was sadly missing. The Hoopoe was seen again though.